A Magnetically-Steerable Stenting Catheter for Minimally Invasive Cardiovascular Interventions

Magnetically-guided catheters present a promising treatment option to reduce the incidence of post-operative trauma in minimally invasive procedures. In this study, we present a novel catheter design that combines the characteristics of standard angiography and angioplasty catheters in combination with magnetic guidance. The catheter body consists of a 5F size angiography catheter that has been adapted to hold an intra-aortic balloon (8F diameter). It uses two magnets, one for tip guidance and another for easy steering into blood vessel branches. Magnetic guidance of the catheter is demonstrated using an array of six mobile electromagnetic coils with a custom-built graphical user interface. A 3R pseudo-rigid-body model is used within a closed-loop controller to calculate the coil currents and positions to obtain the required magnetic field in order to control the orientation of the catheter tip. Magnetic guidance of the catheter is demonstrated in a phantom model of the aorta. The angiography and angioplasty capabilities of the catheter are illustrated through separate experiments.